Territory



(No Model.)

D. & A. MQGAUGHAN.

I GAR GOUPLING': N0. 531,738. Patented Jan. 1, 1895.

m Iyz UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.

DANIEL MOCAUGHAN AND ARCHIE MCCAUGHAN, OF MAMMOTH, UTAH TERRITORY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 531,7 38, datedJanuary 1, 1895.

Application filed February 19, 1894- Serial No. 500,790- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, DANIEL MoCAUcHAN and ARCHIE MCCAUGHAN, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Mammoth, in the county of J uab, UtahTerritory, have invented certain newand usefullmprovements in anAutomatic Oar-Coupler; and we do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the coupler. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section. Fig. 4 is a top plan view.Fig. 5 illustrates the automatic coupling device. Figs. 6 and 7 show oneof the coupling jaws. Figs. 8 and 9 show one of the jaw cranks, andFigs. 10, 11 and 12 illustrate the coupling lever in detail.

The object of our invention is to provide an automatic car coupler whichis simple and effective, and which will uncouple automatically in casethe cars leave the track.

The coupler consists of a pair of hinged jaws in a draw-head, with whicha headed link engages. A fixed'tongue opens the jaws automatically incase the drawhead swings to one side beyond a certain limit of safety.

The outer end of the draw bar A has a solid head with upper and lowerflanges a forming semicircular recesses to receive similarly shaped ears5 b on the rear end of the link chamber B. A vertical bolt 0 passesthrough registering holes in the ears and draw-head and hinges themtogether. On each side of these ears are shoulders which will strike theshoulders a, of the draw-bar and prevent the link chamber from swinginglaterally beyond a certain angle. The draw-bar has a fixed tongue aprojecting forward into the link chamber. The front of the link chamberis open, and in each of its side walls is a recess 1) whose front endsare preferably rounded, as shown best in Fig. 3. In the top of the linkchamber and in line with these recesses, are holes of suitable size topermit the coupling jaws D to be dropped through them into the linkchamber. At the upper end of each jaw plate d is a journal d, and at thelower end a journal d the latter fitting into a suitable hole in thebottom of the link chamber. A block B is fitted snugly into the hole inthe top through which the jaw plate passes, leaving only room for theupper journal cl to turn easily. The rounded end of the recess b fitsthe edge of the jaw plate. Surrnounting each journal (1 and rising abovethe top of the link chamber is a square head (7. which receives a jawcrank E, consisting of a flat plate having teeth 6 at one end andasquare hole 6' at the other end to fit the head (1 On each side of thelink chamber and adjacent to the journals of the jaw plates is anupright ear 12 A transverse shaft F is journaled in said ears, andserves as the fulcrum for the coupling lever F, which is preferably abent lever having teeth f on one arm to engage with the teeth 6 on bothjaw cranks E. On the other arm of the lever is a weightf, and in the endof the lever is an eye f for the attachment of a cord or chainconnecting it with the unlocking devices at the side or top of the car.The weight keeps the lever normally in the position shown in Fig. 1, andby reason of the intermeshing teethf, e, the jaw plates are held out atan angle as shown in Figs. 3 and i.

The link G is a bar having at each end a head, provided with beveledshoulders g and a tapered end g".

The operation of our invention is as follows: The link enters the linkchamber and pushes'the coupling jaws sidewise back into the recesses 5'until the head of the link passes through them, when they areautomatically swung together again, by the falling of the weighted leverF, which the separation of the jaws has raised. The ends of the jawplates close against the shoulders of the link and the coupling isefiected. To uncouple, it is simply necessary to lift the lever F, whichoperates to swing the jaw plates back into their-recesses 12' leavingthe link free to be withdrawn. In case the car leaves the track, thelink chamber will be swung so far to one side, that one of the jaws willcome against the fixed tongue a and the jaw plates will be crowded apartand release the link as shown in Fig. 5, thus automatically uncouplingthe cars.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. The combinationwith a draw bar, having a tongue, of a link chamber horizontally hingedon said drawbar, and coupling jaws mounted in said chamber on each sideof said tongue, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a drawbar, of a link chamber horizontally hingedthereto, coupling jaws vertically hinged in said link chamber, a crankon each jaw, and an elbow lever fulcrumed on a horizontal aXis andpositively interengaged With the adjacent ends of both cranks,substantially as described.

3. The combination with the chamber A, of the link chamber Bhorizontally hinged thereto, the jaws D having journals received inholes in the top and bottom of the link chamber, the cranks E havingteeth e, and the weighted lever F having teeth f engaging the teeth e,substantially as described.

at. In a car coupling, a link chamber having holes in its top to admitcoupling jaws, and blocks partially filling said holes to retain saidjaws in place, substantially as described.

5. Acar couplingprovided with hinged jaws to engage with a headed link,and means for automatically opening said jaws when the car leaves thetrack, substantially as described.

6. A car coupling comprising a laterally movable draw-head, hingedcoupling jaws mounted in said draw-head, and means for automaticallyopening said jaws when the draw-head swings beyond the limit of safety,substantially as described.

DANIEL MOGAUGHAN. ARCHIE MOOAUGHAN. WVitnesses:

FRED NELSON, J. S. WATTS.

